Well flow controlling device



Jan. 2, 1940. LQF. ROLL INS WELL FLOW conmomlme DEVICE Filed Oct. 28,1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l Leon Roll/n's Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE WELL FLOW CONTROLLING nnvron Leon F. R ollins, Houston,Tex. Application October as, 1937, Serial No. 111,475

9 Claims. (01. 166-5 My invention relates to theart of controlling theflow of fiuids in a well and is particularly adapted to use in oil wellswhen it is desired, at times, to control, regulate or entirely cut off,

the flow of oil and gas.

I am aware that many devices have been used for this, or similar,purposes but from my experience such have all failed to function in away to satisfy the demands, and real needs, of the oil industry.

The object of my invention is to produce a device for these purposes,sure and true in its functioning, economical to manufacture and easy toposition and operate. One of the principal objects of the invention isto provide such a device which may be prepared, for its function,

as the casing is being connected, above ground,

and being lowered into the well.

A further object is to do away with the necessity of shooting,- forperforating, a casing after it has been positioned in the well.

Another object is to provide regular, and

suiilcient, openings in the well casing so that the regulation of oil,or other, flow, may be sure and certain and easily andquicklyaccomplished,

without the necessity of employing skilled and highly trained mechanicsbut which can be satisfactorily placed, adjusted andregulated; b anymechanic working in the oil field.

A further object is to simplify the whole proceeding of preparing an oilwell for proper and efllcient regulation as to the flow of the oil and.gas.

Another important object is to efficiently take care of a conditionwherein a casing is set in a ,well piercing a multiplicity "of oilsands, so that all but one, if desired, may be cut off entirely and theremaining one regulated as to its flow,

or be entirely out off also.

A further object is to render it: unnecessary to plug perforations incasings with cement, or similar substance, or to be compelled to cut offoil sands by cementing b tween the casing and the wall of the well.

A construction designed to carry out theinvention will be hereinafterdescribed, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and 50 by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in

which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing therelationship of the perfo- 55 rated'part of the casing and sleevetherein,

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross-section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, a

Figure 3 is an isometric view of one of the plugs I employ,

Figure 4 is an isometric view of a split sleeve I' employ,

Figure 5 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing thecasing with perforations therein at two different points, one sectioncon-. taining. perforations having my controlling sleeve therein and thesecond perforated section having a cut-off sleeve for the perforationstherein,

Figure 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of mydevice with the controlling sleeve partly raised, and held-in position,to permit a limited fiow of oil into the casing, and

Figure 7 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing amodified form of the invention wherein the sleeve fits snugly in thecasing and engages the plugs.

Referring to the accompanying drawings the reference numeral l0indicates a well casing,

topped by the usual casing head II, the sections of the casing beingjoined by the customary collarv coupling l2. The numeral l3 indicates asection of the casing which is provided with a number of taperedperforations, l4, these perforations being, preferably, arranged in auniform manner. The numeral l 5 indicates a spacing ring which I placebetween certain of the casing sections, which will hereinafter be morefully explained, said ring extending inwardly from the inner. wall of hecasing to form a shoulder, as shown.

An important element of my invention is the sleeve l6, which Ipreferably make of less outside diameter than the inside diameter of thecasing, so as to provide an annular space therebetween. This sleeve isof a length sufficient to cover all of the perforations in a givensection of the casing and the spacing ring-l5 is secured between thelower end of the perforated section and the next lower section of thecasing, and,

. sleeve may be raised and lowered in the casing.

The tapered, perforations received tapered plugs 20 which are firstinserted therein by hand and are then forced into said perforations bythe sleeve it, when the latter is telescoped into the casing section.These plugs may be made of rubber compound, Duprene or any othermaterial suitable for the purpose.

In forming the perforations in certain of the casing sections I preferto form them with beveled sides, the wider part of the opening beinginnermost and, obviously, the plugs 20 may be formed with the samebevel, to fit therein. but this is simply for convenience and is notessential to the proper functioning of my device.

In practical operation, vas the casing is being made up and lowered intothe well, a perforated section is placed in the string so as to beproperly positioned with respect to the oil producing sand. The locationof this sand is, of course,

well known from the recordings taken during the sinking of the well. Ifthere are more than one oil sand a perforated section is placed in thestring of casing to be properly positioned withrespect to each oil sand.

In the event two or more oil or gas or oil and gas sands are pierced andit is desirable to shut off one of said sands, I provide a splitmetallic sleeve 19, preferably of resilient metal. This sleeve will holdthe plugs in place and owing to the frictional engagement with theplugs, will itself be held in place.

The casing being made up with one or more perforated sections havingplugs and sleeves therein, is lowered into the Well in the usual manner.The perforations being sealed by the plugs 20, the oil, gas and waterare shut off. It is the practice to cement the casing in the well. Inorder to raise the sleeve iii, a suitable tool, such as a spear l8 withexpansible slips is lowered on theend of a string of tubing, so that theslips engage in the upper end of the sleeve.

By raising the tubing the required distance, which may be accuratelydone, the sleeve I6 will be likewise elevated, thus releasing the plugstherebelow. The pressure of the fluids from the sands being exertedagainst the small ends of the plugs 20, would displace the same into thecasing, whereby the complementary apertures M will be opened and fiowinto the casing established. If salt water or other extraneous fluidsshould flow into the casing, the tool I8 is removed fer the purpose ofpumping cement into the casing and filling the perforations. Owing tothe frictional contact between the plugs and the sleeve, the latter willremain in its raised position when the tool is removed.

It is pointed out that one sleeve I9 is positioned within eachperforated section desired to be kept plugged, whereby said sleeveprevents the displacement of, the plugs of said section. When only oneoil or gas or oil and gas sand is pierced, only one perforated sectionis made up in the casing and, therefore, the sleeves l9 are unnecessaryand are not-.pused. The latter are 7 usually employed vin the-uppersections as shown close sliding fit in the casing section l3 andthiswill aid in preventing a fiow or passage, of fluids between thesleeve and easing. However, I prefer to make the sleeve smaller as inFigs. 1, and 6. thus saving the expense of machining; When the plugs 20are forced into the perforations l4, their smaller ends may protrudefrom the outside of the casing section, and'in such case the projectingends may be cut off before the casing is lowered into the well.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention, herewith shownand described, are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, andthat various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts, may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or thescope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. The combination in a well flow controlling device, of a casing, aperforated section in said casing positioned at flow strata, plugs forfilling the perforations to shut off the flow of fluids therethrough,and movable means for holding said plugs in place.

2. In a well fiow controlling device, a casing section having spacedperforations, yieldable.

plugs inserted in the perforations of said section for closing the same,and a sleeve slidable in said section and held in place by frictionalcontact with said plugs.

3. The combination in a well fiow controlling device of a casing, aperforated section in said casing positioned at the flow strata, saidperforations being formed with inclined walls the inner opening beinglarger than the outer opening, beveled plugs to be inserted in theirrespective perforations, and a split sleeve inserted in the casing andengaging the said plugs.

4. The combination in a well fiow controlling device of a casing, aperforated section in said casing positioned at the flow strata, asecond perforated section in said casing positioned at a second flowstrata, removable means for closing the perforations in said secondsection, a sleeve slidably mounted within said casing and designed toopen and close the perforations in the first mentioned perforatedsection, and means to selectively position said sleeve with respect tosaid perforations.

5. The combination in a well flow controlling device of a casing, aperforated section in said casing positioned at the flow strata, asecond perforated section in said casing positioned at a second flowstrata, removable means for closing the perforations in said secondsection, a sleeve slidably mounted within said casing and designed toopen and close the perforations in the first mentioned perforatedsection, means to selectively position said sleeve with respect to saidperforations, and a stop in said casing for the sleeve to position. samefor closing all of said perforations in the first mentioned perforatedsection.

6. The combination in a well flow controlling device of. a casing,- aplurality of perforated sec tions in said casing one positionedat eachflow strata in thewell, plugs to be inserted in the perforations in eachperforated section positioned at a flow strata, removable means to holdsaid plugs in the perforations of one of said sections at a strata to beworked, means to selectively position said sleeve withrespect to theplugs to release the same.

7. The combination in a well flow controlling device of a casing, aperforated section in said casing designed to be positioned at a fiowstrata and exposed onits outer surface to the pressure fluid in saidstrata, removable closures in the perforations of the casing sectionexposed to the exterior fluid pressure, movable means normally holdingsaid closures in place to shut-off the external pressure fluid from thecasing, and means operable from the top of the well for moving saidmovable means to release selected closures, whereby the pressure fluidfrom said strata may displace said selected closures into the casing andflow thereinto.

8. The combination in a well flow controlling device, of, a casing, aperforated section in said casing designed to be positioned at a flowstrata, and exposed on its outer surface to the pressure fluid in saidstrata, removable plugs in the perforations of the casing sectionexposed to the exterior fluid pressure, movable means normally holdingsaid plugs in place to shut oil? the external pressure fluid from thecasing, and means operable from the top of the well for moving saidmovable means to release selected plugs, whereby the pressure fluid fromsaid strata may displace said selected plugs into the casing and flowthereinto.

9. The combination in a well flow controlling device, ofa casing, aperforated section in said casing designed to be positioned at a flowstrata and exposed on its outer surface to the pressure fluid in saidstrata, removable plugs in the per- -f.orations'of the casing sectionexposed to the exterior fluid pressure, movable means normally holdingsaid plugs in place to shut oil the externalpre ssure fluid from thecasing, means to release selected plugs, whereby the pressure fluid fromsaid strata may displace said selected plugs into the casing and flowthereinto, and.means for limiting the downward movement of the sleeve.

LEON F. ROLLINS.

